Amoeba proteus

The
Amoeba proteus is a large protozoan and belongs to the Phyllum
Sarcodina.

It
has an ever changing shape and is approximately 500-1000 um long.
It can almost be seen with the naked eye.

The
Amoeba proteus can be ordered from science supply companies and is
the classic specimen used in the classroom to demonstrate the pseudopods
in action. Other species of amoebas are either too small, too
fragile or atypical in structure.

Amoeba
proteus can sense light and tends to move away from it. Just
before it reproduces, it rounds up into a ball with tiny pseudopodia
extensions. Over the next 15 minutes or so, it splits and becomes
two. Image below shows one amoeba in the final stages of
splitting. Look carefully and you can see the clear channel between
the two new amoebas.